Necktie trick contrivance



y 948. H. RIFAS 2,441,546

NECKTIE TRICK CONTRIVANCE I Filed Aug. :51, 1946 IN 1/ EN TOR.

HAROLD I 2! PAS Patented May 11 1948 HaroldRifas, Bronx, N. Y assignor-to Louis Tannen, New York; Y.

ApplicationAugustfll,1946g'SerialNb. 694,-236

This invention rel'a-testo magic' or trick devices and ismore particularly directed to a" mechanical contrivance which may beassoeiatedwith a necktie such manner that, by'movement of aipredetermined part of the bodyof the wearer; thenecktie may be caused to; swing outwardly and upwardly from its normal position against the shirt front. The device-is intended for amusement purposes in the carryingout of adexterous or ingenious feat or procedure intended to puzzle or amuse the observer. Speaking generally, the invention comprises a lever which may conveniently-be in the form of a wire rod, ful'crumed' intermediate" its ends upon an'appropriate anchoring: member adapted to besecu'red' either to the button facing of a shirt or to the rear of a four-in-hand necktiedirectlybelow the knot thereof. The lever has armsof unequal length. The longer arm is adapted to be secured to the depending-portion'oithe fourin-hand' necktie, so that movement of the lever will impart movement tothe tie; To theshorter arm of the lever is secured a cord or thread'ad'apted to extend downwardly'back of the-tie and to be securedto the front of the-treusersinteriorly thereof, in a normal-lysubstantially taut condition. Ordinarilythetie will-hang in the usual and conventional manner against the shirt front, but by'slight expansion of'the chest ofithewearer, the cord'may be placedunder'sufficient tension to cause the lever to swing outwardly andKupward'ly; carrying with-it the= depending portions of the tie to the astonishment of the-'orilooker. Upon relaxation offthe chest the tie will reassumeits natural position by gravity.

'The invention embodiesvarious-novel features which will more full-y appear fro m-the foll'owing detailed description when read inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, a

The accompanying drawings illustrate different practical embodiments ofthe invention, but the constructions therein shown are to be understood as illustrative only, and not as defining the limits of the invention.

Figure 1 is a pictorial view showing the contrivance of the present invention in operation to perform the trick or illusion for which it is intended.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the preferred form of the invention showing the operating parts in full lines and an associated shirt and four-in-hand necktie in phantom, to illustrate the manner of its attachment.

Figure 3 is a rear view of the lower end or a 5' Claims; (01. 272-27 four-in:-'hand tie showing; one means: ofattaching the long armof; the: lever: to the tie.

Figure-'4 is: a-sim-ilar. view showing a different form of? attachment.-

I Figure shows the present invention-1 carried furtherpthanis exemplified inthe preceding fig ures, inthatthere isassociatedtherewith printed cards orisignsadapted tQEbGzSBGll-IGdto the button facingi'of theshirt and, to the back side of the four-inehand tie, the' tie being'raised in thisfigure :todisclose the printing: matter on both cards;

Figure. 6'is' a- -section. on'the:1ine66 of Figure -5-.

- 1 Figure- 7 is a section on the line-T-lof- Fi-gure 5'. Y Figure 8. is an enlarged fragmentakviewshowing the manner of attaching the printedcard to the-shirt; V

Figure 9 is avievsrsi-milar to'FigureZ; but show-- ing-a modified form: at attachment of thecard'to I thersh-irtor'to thetie;

Figure 10; shows amodified form of cord attachment.

Referring to the drawings, l designates an anchoring member which may partake of Widely different forms without departingfrom' this invention, but which, for the purposeof illustration, is shown in the formof a spring cliphaving resilient clamping jaws, 2 and '31 adapted: to straddle the edge: ofthe, button facing} ofashirt to resiliently'holdtheranchoringmember thereon back of. a four-in-hand necktie 5-. I I

It is preferred that the anchoring member-be secured to the'shirt. as this gives the most satisfactory results, but if desired, it may be secured to therear loose -end of. the-four-in-hand tie directly belowthe knot thereof, without departing from. this invention, the essential criteria being that it be anchored firmly in place and provide a fairly firm support fora horizontalpivot' iicarried thereby. On this pivot 6 is fulcrumed a lever l ofizthje first class, having arms of: unequal length.

The long arm 8 hangs freelyfrom thepivot, while the short-.a-rmS'is perforated near its freeend for the attachment of acori orthread' i0, adapted to extend downwardly into the interior of the trousers H and provided at its end with a hook i2, as shown in Figure 2, or a leather or plastic terminal piece l3 having therein a keyhole slot 14. The hook may be hooked into the fabric'of the trousers or passed about one of the trouser fly buttons or the terminal piece l3 may be fastened over a fly button before buttoning up the fly to form a lower attachment of the cord ID to the garment. In practice, the cord is preferably carried around the free vertical edge of the button facing and downwardly inside of the shirt,

so that it will be concealed for substantially its full length at all times.

The long or work arm 8 of the lever is adapted to be secured to the tie. It may be passed down along the back surface of the depending ends of the tie, as shown in Figure 3, or it may be passed down through the interior of the tie and secured in place in any suitable manner. In Figure 3, an ordinary straight pin I is employed to secure the lever to the tie, while in Figure 4 a piece of adhesive tape I B is utilized for this purpose. In any event, the arm 8 of the lever is concealed back of the tie and by preference concealed within the tie when the same is in normal position.

,When the tie is worn in conventional fashion;

it rests upon the surface of the shirt and to all appearances is of the usual sort. However, if the chest of the wearer is expanded slightly, it will serve to increase the tension on the thread or cord l0 and this increased tension will draw down the power arm 9 of the lever and elevate the work arm 8 to which the tie is attached, so'that the tie will be automatically raised to substantially the horizontal position shown in Figure 1. Relaxation of the chest will cause the tie to re-assume its natural position. In Figure 1, the power arm of the lever is shown exposed, in the interest of clearness, but, in practice, it is preferably concealed, so that the operations of the tie will have the appearance of magic. The operators hands may be exposed to view, while the tie is actuated as stated, to lend an air of incredibility to the performance. The slight expansion of the chest above normal will not be noticable to the onlooker.

The structure may be employed as described, although I may additionally associate therewith cards or signs I! and I8 containing appropriate printing matter of advertising or other nature or pictorial effects as may be desired. The card or sign H is adapted to be secured to the shirt front so as to overlie the button facing 4 thereof, while the card or sign [8 may be secured to the back of the four-in-hand tie. Either one or both of these cards may be used and they may be attached in any appropriate way. I

In Figures 5, 7 and 8 ordinary paper clips H! are shown for attaching the card I! to the shirt, while in Figure 9 a spring clip 20 is attached to the back face of the card I1 and is adapted to clip over the edge of the button facing. These different forms are optional.

In Figure 6 the card 18 is shown as secured to the lever arm 8 by means of: one or more strips of adhesive tape 2| and the arm 8 of the lever may be secured to the tie at its lower end in either of the ways shown in Figures-3 and 4 or in any other suitable way. 7

When the tie is worn in the conventional fashion, the two cards l1 and 18 are of course concealed back of the tie, but, when 'the tie is lifted, as shown in Figure 5, both cards are exposed to the view of the onlooker, so that he may read the messages thereon contained.

This trick contrivance of this invention has met with an astonishing reception by both professionals and amateurs in the amusement fields because of the unexpected performances of the tie and of its pronounced novelty.

The foregoing detailed description sets forth the invention in its preferred practical forms, but the invention is to be understood as fully commensurate with the appended claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A necktie trick contrivance comprising: a lever, the work arm of which is adapted to be secured to the depending portion of a four-in-hand necktie on a wearer, said lever having a fulcrum attachable to an article of apparel on said wearer at the rear of said tie, a lever operating cord attached to the power armof said lever, and means at the free end of the cord to secure the same to the apparel at another part of the person.

2. A necktie trick contrivance comprising: a lever, the work arm of which is adapted to be secured to the dependingportion of a four-in-hand necktie on a wearer, said lever having an anchoring member adapted to be attached to the shirt at the rear of the necktie and carrying a pivot on which said lever is fulcrumed, a lever operating cord attached to the power arm of said lever, and means at the free end of the cord to secure the same to the apparel at another part of the person.

3. A necktie trick contrivance comprising: a lever, the work arm of which is adapted to be secured to the depending portion of a four-in-hand necktie on a wearer, said lever having an anchoring member adapted to be attached to the back of the necktie adjacent the knot thereof and carrying a pivot on which said lever is fulcrumed, a lever operating cord attached to the power arm of said lever, and means at the free end of the cord to secure the same to the apparel at another part of the person.

4. A necktie trick contrivance comprising: a lever, the work arm of which is adapted to be secured to the depending portion of a four-in-hand necktie on a wearer, said lever having a spring clip adapted to be attached to the shirt at the rear of the necktie and carrying a pivot on which said lever is fulcrumed, a lever operating cord attached to the power arm of said lever, and means at the free end of the cord to secure the same to the apparel at another part of the person.

5. A necktie trick contrivance comprising: a lever fulcrumed to the apparel on the wearer rearwardly of a four-in-hand necktie, means for securing the work arm of said lever to the depending portion of said tie, a lever operating cord attached to the power arm of said lever, and means at the free end of the cord to secure the same to the apparel at another part of the person.

HAROLD RIFAS. 

